


Late Night Tea and Other Pleasantries

by TheQueen



Series: How We Come Home [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-War, Canon Compliant, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone Needs A Hug, Flash Fiction, Gen, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, POV Hunk (Voltron), POV Lance (Voltron), Post-War, Team Bonding, Team as Family, lance flash bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 13:56:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14854080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueen/pseuds/TheQueen
Summary: After the war, everyone tries to find their footing. This is how Hunk and Lance move on.A Lance Flash Bang Story





	Late Night Tea and Other Pleasantries

_Header by TheQueen (Me)_

Hunk lets him in through the back door with a reminder to be mindful of the cats.

“I thought you were getting a dog,” Lance says, toeing off his shoes and reaching down to pet the gray tabby that flopped down in front of him, it’s paws waving upwards as he pet along it’s ears.

“Jenna was allergic,” Hunk says somewhere behind him. A clunk of metal against metal follows and then he asks, “Do you want tea?”

“Uh… yeah,” Lance runs his fingers along it’s back as he tried to remember Jenna… probably girlfriend 7 if he’s remembering right. Red hair. She’d worked in consulting. “Anything you got. I’m pretty full.”

It had been nice seeing everyone. They’d looked good, healthy as they could be. Allura had an air of satisfaction around her despite the growing unrest in the Beta 7 quadrant, holding Shiro’s hand so the ring around her finger sparkled in the low light of the restaurant. Shiro, for his part, had seemed equally satisfied if not a little sleepy, but Lance is willing to chalk that up to a long day instead of a insomnia based on Shiro’s promise to meet for coffee tomorrow. Coran had been as young as ever despite the silver that starting to color his hair, happily telling stories like no time had passed.

Keith… well, Keith was there. It was always a little awkward when Lance and Keith were in the same room. The promise hanging over their heads, a steady reminder of Lance’s countdown. But Keith looked healthy when Lance had dared to look at him, had even seemed happy. That was ideal. Keith deserves to be happy.

Lance takes a deep breath and stands to the groaning of his knees. “I’m getting old,” Lance jokes as Hunk pulls the kettle from the stove.

“Shut up. Twenty-five is not old,” Hunk laughs as he pours the steaming water into two cups as Lance takes a seat at the small kitchen table Hunk had pushed against the far wall and happily takes the mug from Hunk.

“So how long are you in town for?” Hunk asks, grabbing the sugar pot and milk. “Just til after the anniversary?”

Lance shrugs, pouring just a little milk into his cup before taking a sip. “I don’t know. A while this time, I think. I promised Pidge I’d visit more often.”

Hunk spoons two sugars and a dollop of milk a into his mug and stirs. “That’s good. She needs people around. You know how she gets stuck in her head.”

Lance hums in agreement.

The cat jumps on the table. “Mel knows better,” Hunk sighs the sigh of a man long given up and pets Mel’s head. “But I’ve given up trying to train her.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trained cat,” Lance grins around his mug. Sometimes he forgets how easy it can be. Sometimes it’s too hard to look at the other Paladins and be reminded of the war, of the death and lose. It’s why he’d left on and off again for the last two years. The last six months had been good for him; Lance knows he’d needed the time away. But sitting in the warmth of Hunk’s kitchen, Mel purring between them and his favorite tea in his hands, it’s hard to remember why he needed to leave.

Lance decides to take it as a sign. Maybe he’s getting better. “I missed everyone,” Lance admits.

“We missed you too,” Hunk promises. In the harsh light of the kitchen the scars along Lance’s cheek and neck stand in sharp contrast with the softness of the rest of his face. Hunk still remembered that moment he’d stepped out of his lion, only the adrenaline of battle keeping him standing, to see the bright red against his best friend’s skin. For one horrifying moment, Hunk had thought they’d lost.

“I…” Lance pauses and licks his lips, trying to find the words. When he frowns it pulls at his scars. “The New Hope Flight School offered me a teaching job you know?”

Hunk freezes, eyes wide, before he schools his expression into something more neutral. Behind him the clock chimes midnight. “Are you considering it?”

“I am,” Lance admits. He takes another sip and clears his throat. “I think… well… Keith said he’d wait three years and…” This June 10th would be the third anniversary of the war.

Hunk is silent for a moment, thinking, before he says, “Don’t do anything you’re not ready for.”

“Hunk…”

“Promise?” Hunk holds out his pinkie finger.

_Art by RedLilyArt_

Lance laughs, a quick huff, before wrapping his own pinkie around Hunk’s like they’re still in grade school, “I promise. I… I think I am ready for this.”

“No more world hopping then?” Hunk asks, obviously pleased and--if Lance is reading his body language right--relieved. “Your moms will be excited to have you around.”

“Maybe some world hopping, but only on the holidays” Lance grins, already envisioning his parents’ faces when he tells them he’s moving back. Maybe he’ll move out of his apartment instead of cleaning it? Upgrade to something nicer with his new paycheck. Maybe he’ll get a townhouse? Maybe Keith… Well… Lance sighs.

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Hunk cuts in, “Whatever negative thoughts you’ve got bouncing around your head. Forget them.”

Lance takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. The mug in his hand is warm even devoid of tea. “What if Keith doesn’t want me to stay?”

Hunk rolls his eyes. Lance tries not to feel offended. “You and Keith are too similar, I swear.”

Lance flushes, looking away.

“I want to fall in love so bad,” Hunk admits after a moment. “I keep falling in love trying to find something that’ll last just a little bit longer, you know? After Shay…. Well I thought Shay was it. We fought a war together but she couldn’t come to Earth and I couldn’t stay out there. And now I’m trying to find something that’ll stick because you need somebody after that… Or at least I needed somebody.”

“You had us… er well, you had the team,” Lance corrects because he knows he’s been too absent to be helpful.

“And you all saved my life,” Hunk smiles and reaches out to grab Lance’s hand. “I don’t know where I would be without you all. But… I needed someone else too. I needed someone to love and you, Lance… I was so jealous of you. You had that somebody, waiting right here. And I know you had to leave. You had to find yourself; I understand. Keith needed that too. But he’s here now.”

“I’ve made him wait so long,” Lance can feel the prickle of tears in the corner of his eyes and grips Hunk’s hand tight like that can beat back the sobs. “Two years after the war and I keep leaving him waiting. I know he said three... but who am I to make him wait?”

“You didn’t make him do anything,” Hunk promises. “He chose to wait because he loves you. Do you really think you could make Keith Kogane do something he doesn’t want?”

Lance snorts and rubs at his eye with his free hand. “Fair enough” he grins.

The clock chimes the half hour and Hunk gets up to put their mugs in the sink. “Don’t rob him the dignity of his choice,” he says as he lets the water run.

Lance lets his fingers wander along Mel’s spine and nods even though Hunk can’t see him.

“Now come on,” Hunk yawns. “Let’s head to bed. Shiro was serious about coffee and that man has yet to learn that 9am doesn’t have to mean 9am exactly.”

Lance laughs and stands, stretching his arms above his head. “Where am I sleeping?”

“You mind sharing a bed?” Hunk asks. “I can make up the sofa, but honestly I’m too tired and it’s kind of lumpy.”

“Sharing is fine,” Lance follows Hunk through the small one bedroom apartment as Mel dodges around his feet. “It’ll be like the Garrison all over again.”

Hunk smiles and hands him a toothbrush. “As long as you keep the snoring to a minimum.”

Lance pretends to feel offended, heading into the bathroom. “As long as you don’t kick!”

“I would never,” Hunk cries throwing a pair of pajamas into the bathroom that just happen to be Lance’s size.

Lance wonders if he left them at Hunk’s or if Hunk bought them, but decides it doesn’t matter. He climbs into bed, accepts the extra pillow Hunk hands him and sighs, content, as Hunk drags the covers over them both. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Hunk smiles as he turns off the light.

It’s the best sleep Lance has had in ages.

_Art by SillyOtter_

**Author's Note:**

> Wooo!! I finally get to post this! I want to thank my amazing artists who helped bring this story to life, [redlilyart](https://redlilyart.tumblr.com/post/174596423051/title-late-night-tea-and-other-pleasantries) and [sillyotter](https://sillyotter.tumblr.com/post/174595478145) (picture to be added!) as well as all my friends who helped me perfect this story.
> 
> I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Lance Flash Bang event! I was nervous since this is the first flash bang in the VLD fandom. I was surprised by how many people were interested and how many people signed up. So thank you everyone for making this event such a huge success. 
> 
> As always please let me know what you think in the comments below!


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